Program Mgr (PT): we provide food security, social connection to transform lives

Providing food security & social connection, we transform lives!

·       Care about hunger reduction and food rescue?

·       Enjoy training and coaching small groups?

·       Love great food?

·       Skilled at planning and coordinating?

·       Value a cheerful, positive, and mission-driven work environment?

We’re seeking a Program Manager to join our collaborative, enthusiastic team at Meals on Wheels Takoma Park/Silver Spring where we prepare and deliver delicious meals to homebound seniors, disabled people and veterans.

In this role, you will:

1.        Guide, train, and coach our volunteer kitchen assistant teams

2.        Plan our daily deli meal sandwiches and salads alongside the Chef and Deli Coordinator

3.        Welcome and incorporate food donations, maintaining relationships in the food rescue community

4.        Order food from a range of sources, including local farmers

Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park/Silver Spring

Position Posting: PROGRAM MANAGER [onsite/PART-TIME]

OUR MISSION & VISION

With a vision of a more resilient, interconnected, and compassionate community, Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park/Silver Spring’s mission is to nourish our community. We do this through the preparation and delivery of healthy, delicious meals to our homebound neighbors and other programs that support our community.

OUR CULTURE

In this workplace, we are focused on and guided by our mission and our vision. We are honest, kind, respectful, and encouraging; we communicate openly and directly. There is space for curiosity and innovation. We express a generosity of spirit, understanding that everyone makes mistakes, and we learn from our own. We work hard, we pitch in where needed, and we trust that others are working hard, too. Our small, friendly team enjoys working together and supporting one another.

OUR ORGANIZATION & TEAM

Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park/Silver Spring (TPSS) is all about our people: 8 staff, 250 clients/year, and 150+ volunteers. We are a small, lively group of dedicated nonprofit professionals, and we work closely to ensure operations run smoothly. As a direct service organization, we work hard, and our work is imbued with shared camaraderie.

THE POSITION

The Program Manager, Deli Meals is passionate about food, cooking, and serving our homebound neighbors. The Program Manager reports to the Executive Director (ED) and works in partnership with the Chef and the Deli Coordinator towards the day-to-day success and long-term growth of our program.

The Program Manager is responsible for planning and preparing the daily deli meal (sandwich, 2 sides, juice & milk). The Program Manager is supported by and coordinates the efforts of the Deli Coordinator and the volunteers who assist in the kitchen. The Program Manager also coordinates with external partners for gleaning and events that include packaging shelf-stable meals.

The Program Manager is relied upon to complete your responsibilities each day; working closely and collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers as well as independently. You are excited about working at a nonprofit and committed to our mission of delivering delicious meals to our homebound neighbors. You are passionate about preparing great food and you also have administrative and training skills. You take pride in being consistent in your work, you are able to see how pieces and process flow together, and you communicate well to support a smooth-running operation. 

A TYPICAL DAY

Cheerful greetings from the Chef, Deli Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, and Operations Manager are shared as staff arrive at 8:30am. After hanging up your jacket and a quick email check at your desk, you go into the kitchen, glance at the meal counts for the day, and confirm plans with the Deli Coordinator Steve about that day’s deli meal (Chef Anthony is already cooking up the hot meal). Volunteer kitchen assistants arrive at 9am and get to work – they already know what to do – and you help set out the materials they need. Everyone admires the kale and rhubarb that was donated the day before and you have a lively discussion about how we can use the rhubarb for our clients. Two of the kitchen assistants are looking at you expectantly, so you ask Chef Anthony if he needs anything prepped and help them get started with him. The kitchen is filled with laughter and jokes, as is the office, as you settle down for an hour of work on your computer, emailing with our gleaning partners (gleaning is gathering food that is rescued or donated). You call a local farmer, from whom we buy produce, and ask if they have anything available that we can use. They have a fresh crop of spring greens. You set up a time for them to deliver and let the Operations Manager know that we’ll need to have payment ready at the delivery time. At 11am, you go back into the kitchen to make sure the kitchen assistants are helping Chef Anthony plate up that day’s hot meals and you help out where needed. At 12:30, all the meals have been ferried out by volunteer drivers for delivery to our homebound clients (seniors, disabled people, and veterans) and you sit down with co-workers for a quick lunch in the conference room. After lunch, you place a quick call to one of our volunteers who is available to ferry some packages of grapes to a food pantry where they can use them while they are still fresh. At 1pm, you are winding down for the day and after a last email check, you turn off your computer at 1:30pm and head home.

QUALIFICATIONS:

·   Must be licensed by Montgomery County, MD as a food safety manager, or become licensed within 3 months of hire (costs covered by Meals on Wheels).

·   Value and support the mission of Meals on Wheels.

·   Able to work closely on a team with other staff and volunteers, as well as independently.

·   Deal tactfully with the public, especially volunteers.

·   Establish and maintain an efficient, orderly kitchen and properly prioritize demands to meet tight time deadlines.

·   Maintain a courteous, helpful manner and actively build up and support colleagues.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

·   High School graduate or equivalent required.

·   At least three years of experience in nonprofit work (paid or volunteer) required. Preference for experience with supervision of volunteers, program management, and/or group meal preparation.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, see, hear, walk, handle objects and tools, and reach with arms and hands.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift or move objects up to 40 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

HOURS, COMPENSATION, AND BENEFITS.  Hours are 8:30am-1:30pm M-Th and 9:30am-2:30pm F. Starting salary is 30K-35K annually, depending on experience (experience in food systems, food security, meal prep, or supervising volunteer teams required to start at the higher end of the range); benefits including paid vacation starting at 3 weeks, 10 days paid sick leave, paid child sick & dependent family leave, sabbatical opportunity at 5 years of employment; other types of leave and benefits as described in the Staff Handbook.

HIRING POLICY. Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park/Silver Spring celebrates, supports, and thrives on diversity for the benefit of our staff, clients, and community. We welcome and encourage differences among our people and we are an equal opportunity workplace.